Healthy pregnant women living in the lismore region now have more options for antenatal care and birthing!

The Birth House is a private little oasis located less than five minutes to Lismore Base Hospital. It’s a holistic midwifery service that addresses the different aspects that influence womens health and wellbeing. It helps support her to nurture herself and grow and birth a healthy baby!The Birth House was established by registered midwife, Bronwyn Moir with the vision to create a sense of community around the sacred period of preconception, pregnancy, birth and parenting. The first thing you’ll notice when you arrive is how easy it is to park right outside! It’s a home-like setting so automatically women and families relax when they walk in the door and are greeted by the smiling face of Bron. There are no waiting times and you can choose to have long sessions with your midwife.

The Birth House offers all the usual checks but with the added bonus of other holistic services and completely individualized care. Bron offers full pregnancy care from 12 weeks gestation (at least 10 visits), any required blood tests and ultrasound referrals and full access to The Birth House pregnancy group and classes (unlimited visits during pregnancy & up to 6 weeks post birth). Added bonuses include pregnancy massages and the 2-day Birthing From Within Birth Warrior course that will help the mother and her support team deeply prepare for birth.There are 4 registered midwives working at the birth house: Bronwyn Moir, Bree Daley-Forsyth, Nat Gray and Genna Colgate. They share a similar philosophy about birth and are passionate about providing holistic and nurturing support. All the midwives also work at Lismore Base Hospital and have a good working relationship with the other staff at LBH (this is handy if there’s a transfer needed). I also work at The Birth House as a doula and Birthing From Within childbirth educator. The midwives and doula’s are also involved in the antenatal groups so women get to know their care providers during their pregnancy so they feel completely comfortable with them when it comes time to birth.

The weekly pregnancy groups provide the perfect opportunity to meet other like-minded people and to ask all those niggling questions that pop up. Friendships develop and this means there are support networks in place for after your new baby arrives. Each week a new topic is discussed and you can delve into everything pregnancy, birth and parenting related.There are a range of other holistic services offered. These include; nutritional advice, herbal remedies, pregnancy massage, access to our extensive lending library of pregnancy, birth and parenting books and DVD’s, antenatal classes and Kirrah also provides placenta encapsulation for the Birth House women.

When it comes time to give birth... Women can come to the Birth House in early labour (unlike the hospital where women may be sent home). The surroundings are very comfortable and there’s a midwife on-call 24/7.The birth rooms are set up to facilitate active birth which encourages women to follow their instinctual movements. Things on offer to help are rebozo’s, TENS machine, birth balls, birth pools, aromatherapy, homeopathy and their own private bathroom (hot shower and bath etc). There is a focus on natural support and physiological birth. The Birth House creates an environment that maximizes the release of oxytocin- it’s private, dark and warm. That is so important for healthy birthing and bonding!

After baby arrives, there is a slow transition for the family where they can get to know each other and have time for bonding and breastfeeding. There is no rush to get you out of the room. You can stay as long as you want. After birth, the midwives help clean up and provide a nurturing meal. Couples can then go home or stay overnight- whatever they wish. The post natal visits happen in the families own home.

Want to know more?Bronwyn invites any woman at any gestation to come and check out the Birth House by coming to one of the pregnancy group sessions held each Saturday from 9.30am-12.30pm. So you can be catered for, it’s important to book in for this session (it costs only $20/class). The Birth House is located on Leycester Street in Lismore. To find out more visit: www.holisticmidwifery.com.au or phone Bron on 0425 335 414. Payment plans are available so give Bron a call to discuss your individual options!